Toughest Climb in Ireland?

Heartbreak Hank · 19-07-2017 2:16pm

retalivity wrote: »

Yep.
Shorter longish ones but closer to the city would be rathfarnham to featherbeds or firhouse to ballinascorney

You can actually add a few km onto this by swinging left near the top of Ballinascorney and going to the Kilbride Camp. The surface is really good too.

Google Map

You could continue on to Sally Gap but once you cross into Wicklow the surface is poor especially for a steep decent.

Euro Fred · 19-07-2017 2:23pm

Cheers for the routes, it's a stupid but annoying thing on Strava that my longest climb isn't very big but my longest ride is awesome tbf

buffalo · 24-07-2017 9:13pm

Is it possible to get the spreadsheet link in the first post? I can't be arsed finding it in the thread.

I was up Mount Leinster at the weekend - I've been up it a few times including during the Ras but never up to the mast. That's the mistake I made this time.

I think it has to be the toughest climb I've done - Priest's Leap, Mamore, Glengesh, Coomanaspic, Kippure, Wicklow Gap with Turlough Hill, Healy Pass, Conor Pass... none of them had me zig-zagging back and forth across the tarmac like that access road. With the fog at the time, I couldn't even see where the damn thing ended, nor could I enjoy the descent with so little visibility.

ford2600 · 24-07-2017 9:38pm

buffalo wrote: »

Is it possible to get the spreadsheet link in the first post? I can't be arsed finding it in the thread.

I was up Mount Leinster at the weekend - I've been up it a few times including during the Ras but never up to the mast. That's the mistake I made this time.

I think it has to be the toughest climb I've done - Priest's Leap, Mamore, Glengesh, Coomanaspic, Kippure, Wicklow Gap with Turlough Hill, Healy Pass, Conor Pass... none of them had me zig-zagging back and forth across the tarmac like that access road. With the fog at the time, I couldn't even see where the damn thing ended, nor could I enjoy the descent with so little visibility.

Do it with a dynamo light next time. I needed those couple of watts!

It's horrid.

Jim Fitzpatrick did it 9 times in a day when training for RAI

buffalo · 24-07-2017 11:27pm

ford2600 wrote: »

Do it with a dynamo light next time. I needed those couple of watts!

It's horrid.

Jim Fitzpatrick did it 9 times in a day when training for RAI

heh, I had a different view:

Loe1JSeD8m1oFgGRPZCos1rPo0arLDJ0MQMD_aikhJ0-2048x1152.jpg

De Bhál · 24-07-2017 11:38pm

buffalo wrote: »

nor could I enjoy the descent with so little visibility.

I did it last year and even on a beautiful morning, which I had, there's nothing enjoyable about the descent.

Wishbone Ash · 25-07-2017 12:35pm

buffalo wrote: »

Is it possible to get the spreadsheet link in the first post? I can't be arsed finding it in the thread..

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ElqKjY8GMgqLqbtfFJYW0lnKTf3_LgZ5r0zxwAm6wS0/edit#gid=0

iwillhtfu · 25-07-2017 12:47pm

Cycled up the Corrabut Gap yesterday first time up it, it's certainly up from the off set as soon as you turn left you're straight into it. :eek: I had only recovered from the road up to it a few mins before hand

In my mind I had MT.Leinster access road aswell and it was a beautiful day for it alas I got to the nine stones car park and the legs were saying not today. Name sake certainly let me down but what a day for a spin and not a sinner on the road.

I'll get up there one day on the road bike. I've been up it and down it on the MTB and it was some craic particularly the down part.

Have as few pics but will need to sort out an alternative to photobucket due to their antics.

mcgratheoin · 31-07-2017 9:53am

Rode Tickincor to Powers the Pot yesterday - didn't get a time on the segment due to a complex junction at the top of Tickincor - anyone who's ridden it knows what I mean!

Wasn't as bad as I was expecting, but I'd have to bump it up the list a bit - I thought it was definitely harder than Kilmashogue, hard to compare with other stuff I haven't ridden though

floodser · 31-07-2017 10:14am

Was down at the gravity enduro in Kilbrannish with my son on Saturday, so decided to have a go at Mt Leinster.

It was a beautiful day, but my god, on the way up all i could think of was not stopping and falling off. Descent was fun. I was holding the breaks as hard as I could and was still moving.

https://www.strava.com/activities/1106819321

Quickpip · 28-08-2017 6:19pm

In the table how is the climb rating worked out. What is the formula used?

irishrover99 · 04-09-2017 8:08pm

Has anyone got a link for the segments from Enniskerry-kippure and the one that goes from enniskerry- Liam Horner- kippure.

I can't find them using my phone and want to give them a try this week

TheBlaaMan · 04-09-2017 10:12pm

Quickpip wrote: »

In the table how is the climb rating worked out. What is the formula used?

I remember working this out as something along the lines of :

Difficulty Rating = (Distance) x (Weighting) x (Gradient to the power of 2.5)

I was never sure where the weighting number came from....

It was Seve65 who put up the list, but I don't think he has been on here for a year or so.

thekooman · 17-10-2017 9:51am

this has to be added to the list:
https://www.strava.com/segments/2242055

its a tarred road (access road isn't, need MTB/CX) to the Booster outside Castlebar.
13% for 2km
Engine management light was on... never thought about getting off a bike until i did that.

thekooman · 18-10-2017 12:09pm

thekooman wrote: »

this has to be added to the list:
https://www.strava.com/segments/2242055

its a tarred road (access road isn't, need MTB/CX) to the Booster outside Castlebar.
13% for 2km
Engine management light was on... never thought about getting off a bike until i did that.

did up the Difficulty calculation
ele k grad Grad ^2.5 Weight Diff Rating
278 2 13 609.3381656 1.1 1340.543964

so thats 4th on the list behind Minaun. must do Minaun sometime.

Galego · 08-11-2018 1:33pm

That private road off Burnfoot is certainly the toughest i've come across in this island. What the formula, or stats, doesnt tell you is that it is super exposed to wind or that the road is not smooth, it is more like slats of tarmac.

Unreal climb!

Wishbone Ash · 08-11-2018 1:45pm

irishrover99 wrote: »

Has anyone got a link for the segments from Enniskerry-kippure and the one that goes from enniskerry- Liam Horner- kippure.

I can't find them using my phone and want to give them a try this week

I realise I'm over a year late with the answer but here you are:

Enniskerry to Kippure:

https://www.strava.com/segments/4841082

If you start at Bray Harbour, you can make it a 25km climb:

https://www.strava.com/segments/9412109

Via Liam Horner:

https://www.strava.com/segments/10264021

Plastik · 08-11-2018 1:57pm

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

I realise I'm over a year late with the answer but here you are:

Enniskerry to Kippure:

https://www.strava.com/segments/4841082

If you start at Bray Harbour, you can make it a 25km climb:

https://www.strava.com/segments/9412109

Via Liam Horner:

https://www.strava.com/segments/10264021

*segment - that's not all 25km of climbing. The nearest you'll get to all climbing is starting at the N11.

https://www.strava.com/segments/9609032

Wishbone Ash · 08-11-2018 3:07pm

Plastik wrote: »

*segment - that's not all 25km of climbing. The nearest you'll get to all climbing is starting at the N11.

https://www.strava.com/segments/9609032

Yes, there's a bit of a dip of about 1km on the N11 but many climbs have descents within them Priest's Leap, Gap of Mamore etc.

Plastik · 08-11-2018 6:01pm

You don't include the climb out of Hollywood when you talk about climbing the Wicklow Gap. There's a difference between a dip during what is otherwise considered a climb, and including the an extra couple of rolling hills in advance of a climb.

The extra 5km of urban setting, traffic lights, crap bike lanes, roundabouts and traffic only detract from the whole thing IMO. Two good segments, but the N11 start is undoubtedly the better. Must give it a go again and see if I can get closer to the top of the leaderboard. I'm surprised there are only 52 entries, looks like the segment finishes in a strange place.

Galego · 08-11-2018 6:03pm

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Yes, there's a bit of a dip of about 1km on the N11 but many climbs have descents within them Priest's Leap, Gap of Mamore etc.

Gap of Mamore's dip must be like what 10meters!? :-)

g0g · 16-08-2020 11:09am

A post on the Evil thread gave me the idea of trying out Green Lane yesterday, which reminded me of this old thread. Not the longest climb ever (1.2km) but my god it felt like one of the toughest I've done! Add to that the fact that you have to get half way up Red Lane to start! There's a brief downhill between the turnoff from Red Lane and the start of this (which probably ruins the average) but otherwise if you added both uphills together (0.8km @ 10% + 1.2km @ 11.7%) it would surely be up there!

smacl · 16-08-2020 12:01pm

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

I realise I'm over a year late with the answer but here you are:

Enniskerry to Kippure:

https://www.strava.com/segments/4841082

If you start at Bray Harbour, you can make it a 25km climb:

https://www.strava.com/segments/9412109

Via Liam Horner:

https://www.strava.com/segments/10264021

Tougher route for me would be via Cunard, albeit less total climbing but a much shorter overall route. Worst bit for me about Kippure is cross-winds on the descent if it is in anyway breezy.

Tony04 · 16-08-2020 4:57pm

12 years late and wrong answer to the OP but shanrahan (tipperary side) is an absolute hidden gem of a climb 4.2k +323m at 7% making it probably the toughest paved climb in the comeraghs/knockmealdowns/galtees. Did it the other week, brutal but beautiful, a must if you're in the area.

https://veloviewer.com/segments/4163725?filter=overall

Shame they never built a pass over the galtees.

Doctors room ghost · 16-08-2020 5:02pm

The corkscrew in ballyvaughan is a tough one especially of a muggy day and no breeze

Daroxtar · 16-08-2020 6:27pm

Doctors room ghost wrote: »

The corkscrew in ballyvaughan is a tough one especially of a muggy day and no breeze

I drove over that last week and thought "Oh yeah, that's a sneaky one". The segment on Strava is a bit long and doesn't convey the steepness around the hairpins.

ednwireland · 16-08-2020 6:40pm

Doctors room ghost wrote: »

The corkscrew in ballyvaughan is a tough one especially of a muggy day and no breeze

nah cut across from kilfernorra to poulnabroune found a very short brute of a climb on a back road. managed to jam the chain between the front rings after getting caught out trying to shift down. corkscrew was easy in comparison.

Daroxtar · 16-08-2020 7:12pm

ednwireland wrote: »

nah cut across from kilfernorra to poulnabroune found a very short brute of a climb on a back road. managed to jam the chain between the front rings after getting caught out trying to shift down. corkscrew was easy in comparison.

Drove that as well. Only a couple of hundred metres but properly steep!
Edit,found it, The Burren Wall, 600m @12.9%

at1withmyself · 16-08-2020 7:16pm

Daroxtar wrote: »

Drove that as well. Only a couple of hundred metres but properly steep!

That would probably be megahill, tis a beast alright but thankfully short

dahat · 16-08-2020 7:30pm

Tony04 wrote: »

12 years late and wrong answer to the OP but shanrahan (tipperary side) is an absolute hidden gem of a climb 4.2k +323m at 7% making it probably the toughest paved climb in the comeraghs/knockmealdowns/galtees. Did it the other week, brutal but beautiful, a must if you're in the area.

https://veloviewer.com/segments/4163725?filter=overall

Shame they never built a pass over the galtees.

Agreed, did it once and suffered like a dog albeit a few years ago. I've never been tempted to go back until recently when we drove up it looking for a waterfall.

The drop down the other side is deadly though but gives a nice loop back into Ballypooreen.

Tony04 · 16-08-2020 8:39pm

Ah man you have to get back up it. The climb is alot harder than some of the most famous Wicklow climbs, wicklow gap, sally gap etc, so definitely one of my favourites, cant wait to get back up it, but it probably will be next summer.
I think I averaged less than 30kph on the descent, definitely treacherous, at one point there was a bridge with stream over it rather than under it. But a climb isnt about the descent!
Very scenic aswell

Don't Chute! · 16-08-2020 9:10pm

g0g wrote: »

A post on the Evil thread gave me the idea of trying out Green Lane yesterday, which reminded me of this old thread. Not the longest climb ever (1.2km) but my god it felt like one of the toughest I've done! Add to that the fact that you have to get half way up Red Lane to start! There's a brief downhill between the turnoff from Red Lane and the start of this (which probably ruins the average) but otherwise if you added both uphills together (0.8km @ 10% + 1.2km @ 11.7%) it would surely be up there!

Yeah that one is brutal. I live only about 5k from it and I did it a few days ago for only the second time!

Plastik · 16-08-2020 11:32pm

Green Lane isn't one you'd go out of your way to ride on a regular basis. It's a pig. There's na'er a harder ramp in Wicklow or Dublin.

jimm · 17-08-2020 1:18am

https://www.strava.com/segments/20657869

Witchity hill, the road up to Loughcrew Cairns, Co Meath.

Distance 0.55km, Avg Grade 11%

I was up there in March and reaching the mid section I was about to fall over, but unclipped just in time as the gradient increased to 23.3% :eek:

thesimpsons · 17-08-2020 10:43pm

ednwireland wrote: »

nah cut across from kilfernorra to poulnabroune found a very short brute of a climb on a back road. managed to jam the chain between the front rings after getting caught out trying to shift down. corkscrew was easy in comparison.

It was on the Tour de Burren 90km(ish) route 2/3 years ago. It was probably the toughest sneaky hill I'd come across on a sportive at the time. It was carnage as people were litterly at a standstill half way up the hill and tried to get off and walk while those cycling up were shouting out to make sure we had a way through. It wasnt on the route the next year 😅

xxyyzz · 18-08-2020 3:47pm

Are off-road climbs allowed? Because this one in Killarney would make the baby Jesus cry hitting over 30% in places.
https://www.strava.com/segments/3252734

mad turnip · 18-08-2020 4:10pm

Looks like no on in this thread has cycled up some of the roads in rostrevor.
https://www.strava.com/segments/6227788?filter=overall

Longer version:
https://www.strava.com/segments/1710289?filter=overall

More rostrevor:
https://www.strava.com/segments/1165931?filter=overall

Spotted this monster as I was looking for the above: (this is completly off road)
https://www.strava.com/segments/1307019

loyatemu · 18-08-2020 4:17pm

can't really compare off-road with on-road, the likes of Danny McCaskill could probably cycle up Carrauntoohil.

magicbastarder · 18-08-2020 4:26pm

mad turnip wrote: »

Looks like no on in this thread has cycled up some of the roads in rostrevor.

i don't think any of those actually correspond to 'roads' though?

mad turnip · 18-08-2020 4:47pm

magicbastarder wrote: »

i don't think any of those actually correspond to 'roads' though?

The first three of that post can be done on a road bike albeit its not a great 'road'. It resembles more of a fire road. Would be far better on a gravel bike.

https://www.google.com/maps/@54.0970592,-6.1859922,3a,75y,161.3h,86.49t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sWtEAV4JXxR-b0n5yV8307g!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

ofthelord · 18-08-2020 4:49pm

Plastik wrote: »

Green Lane isn't one you'd go out of your way to ride on a regular basis. It's a pig. There's na'er a harder ramp in Wicklow or Dublin.

I can still clearly remember the first time I went up Green Lane a few years ago. Was out for a spin and took the random left off of Red Lane and didn't know what I was facing into. I'd usually be fairly comfortable on hills, but after a few minutes and with no idea as to how long the hill was going to last I was seriously tempted to stop and turn around!
Just took a look on Strava and it is just under 2 years since I've last gone up it, will have to try it again later this week to see if I still find it so bad.

Tony04 · 18-08-2020 5:52pm

https://www.strava.com/segments/2595885

Going to throw this in as the hardest short climb ive done on the road bike. In the middle of nowhere in tipperary but if you live near enough its worth the shot.

retalivity · 18-08-2020 7:27pm

A nice little thunderbastard in NW Donegal I did for the first time earlier in the summer. Its up to a windmill farm, so you need to either be lucky and the gate is open or jump it, hence so few attempts. 1.3km at a steady 12%. That segment is tarred, you can actually go the whole way to the top on loose chips and it appears to be steeper again - no segment for that though

https://www.strava.com/segments/21742204

mcgratheoin · 07-09-2020 3:41pm

Hit Scrothea up for the first time yesterday - listed on the spreadsheet as in the top 10 even though it's only 1.5km.

I'd definitely have it a bit higher - the 14% average doesn't tell the whole story I reckon - there are definitely long >20% sections in it. The segment linked to on strava has about 300m at 4/5% at the bottom but when you turn left up the hill it's a whole other world of pain and I think it's closer to 15% average for the middle kilometre! Usually after I ride a climb I can think about where you might potentially go a bit harder/recover etc.. but this was just pure survival. Standing up on a damp road led to wheelspin while sitting down was in wheelie territory.

https://www.strava.com/segments/6699727

Rode Tickincor up to Powers the Pot (which incidentally is in Waterford, not Tipperary as marked on the spreadsheet :mad:) afterwards and even though it's in the Top 20 it just felt like one where I could sit and spin if needed and could go faster if the legs felt better.

Tim76 · 08-09-2020 11:16am

The Wall, Cratloe, Co. Clare - just outside Limerick City.

1km in length, 137m elevation, averages at 13.1% with sections at over 20%

Poor road as well that never really drys out properly, meaning that unless you are tackling it in the middle of a drought the back wheel keeps losing grip just to add to the mental and physical torture. The council should put a defibrillator three-quarters of the way up as that's where the heart usually starts to pop!

woody1 · 08-09-2020 1:16pm

retalivity wrote: »

A nice little thunderbastard in NW Donegal I did for the first time earlier in the summer. Its up to a windmill farm, so you need to either be lucky and the gate is open or jump it, hence so few attempts. 1.3km at a steady 12%. That segment is tarred, you can actually go the whole way to the top on loose chips and it appears to be steeper again - no segment for that though

https://www.strava.com/segments/21742204

was up there for a week just 2 weeks ago and i saw the windfarm on the way in and figured the road up had to be a killer, but i didnt cycle out that road at all in the end,
theres some nasty little climbs around that whole area, dont think theres a flat stretch of road in it

Quickpip · 08-09-2020 7:34pm

mad turnip wrote: »

Looks like no on in this thread has cycled up some of the roads in rostrevor.
https://www.strava.com/segments/6227788?filter=overall

Longer version:
https://www.strava.com/segments/1710289?filter=overall

More rostrevor:
https://www.strava.com/segments/1165931?filter=overall

Spotted this monster as I was looking for the above: (this is completly off road)
https://www.strava.com/segments/1307019

Thats the tarmac road
in Rostrevor(including the road through the car park) which is about 220m for about 1.8km of climbing @ 12% avg gradient.
https://www.strava.com/segments/15426859
There are a few others around South Down including Yellow Road/Coyles Hill
https://www.strava.com/segments/9207389
201m for 4.9km @ 4%
https://www.strava.com/segments/15427663
277m for 6.2km @ 4%

brownian · 08-09-2020 9:13pm

Thought I'd posted this already...up the back of Camp village in Kerry is the road to Caherconree. Only short, but hits 25%, and it's a real road - you go over the other side and down onto the S coast of the Dingle peninsula. Worth a spin if you're in the area.

De Bhál · 08-09-2020 10:51pm

brownian wrote: »

Thought I'd posted this already...up the back of Camp village in Kerry is the road to Caherconree. Only short, but hits 25%, and it's a real road - you go over the other side and down onto the S coast of the Dingle peninsula. Worth a spin if you're in the area.

I cycled up that 4 years ago. It's short so I tried to speed to the base of it and power up it. Didn't work, had to get off. It's the hardest ramp I've climbed on a bike and I got up mt leinster to the mast without having to stop.
Overall mt Leinster is worse for the unforgiving length.

mistermatthew · 09-09-2020 10:23am

Is there any value in resurrecting the spreadsheet from earlier which ranked the climbs? We could copy it across to a new sheet and start populating again? We could add a couple of people as mods to supervise it and people can submit again. Not sure if the original creator would mind?

Toughest Climb in Ireland?

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